ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bulb · spell · bark · pitch · bowl · current · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — to shout
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. current — of water
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — in football
  23. current — electric
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com